Given President Nicolás Maduro is already fighting for his political survival, it might seem crazy of him to meddle with such a sensitive issue as the cost of gas. Venezuelans are already dealing with triple-digit inflation.

Updated

03/19/2014 - 7:15am

One of the drivers behind the Venezuelan street protests is a lack of basic consumer goods, from toilet paper to food. Now the government thinks it has a partial answer — a sort of supermarket loyalty card that it hopes will cut down on hoarding and speculation. But some critics say the idea is just creepy.

An album released by a Venezuelan band nearly a year ago is inspiring the growing protests in Venezuela. The group's lyrics seem to capture both the despair amidst the country's high crime, rising inflation and troubled economy and the hope for change.

Hugo Chavez was a larger-than-life political figure who served as Venezuela's president for 14 years, keeping a lid on protests and a difficult economy. His successor Nicolas Maduro has had anything but a smooth reign and Venezuela is now being compared to tumultuous counties like Syria and Ukraine.

Updated

03/19/2014 - 7:15am

One of the drivers behind the Venezuelan street protests is a lack of basic consumer goods, from toilet paper to food. Now the government thinks it has a partial answer — a sort of supermarket loyalty card that it hopes will cut down on hoarding and speculation. But some critics say the idea is just creepy.

An album released by a Venezuelan band nearly a year ago is inspiring the growing protests in Venezuela. The group's lyrics seem to capture both the despair amidst the country's high crime, rising inflation and troubled economy and the hope for change.

Hugo Chavez was a larger-than-life political figure who served as Venezuela's president for 14 years, keeping a lid on protests and a difficult economy. His successor Nicolas Maduro has had anything but a smooth reign and Venezuela is now being compared to tumultuous counties like Syria and Ukraine.

Given President Nicolás Maduro is already fighting for his political survival, it might seem crazy of him to meddle with such a sensitive issue as the cost of gas. Venezuelans are already dealing with triple-digit inflation.